The Rings Of Power Season 3 Brings Back The Original LOTR Villain

After two seasons of rising tensions everywhere from Lindon to Númenor, the metaphorical pot finally boils over in The Rings of Power season 3. Prime Video's debut run detailed the early stages of Sauron's return following an embarrassing mutiny by his once-loyal orcs. The Rings of Power season 2 chronicled Sauron bringing the Rings themselves into being, starting with the trio worn by elves before moving onto the Seven and the Nine.

By the end of that process, Sauron's mask had well and truly slipped, leading to a brutal battle amid the ruins of Eregion. In The Rings of Power season 3, it's war. Specifically, Tolkien's 'The War Between Sauron and the Elves,' which dominated a significant chunk of Middle-earth's Second Age and resulted in the Dark Lord temporarily seizing control thanks in no small part to his latest genius invention, the One Ring.

Naturally, then, The Rings of Power season 3 will put Sauron himself front and center of its story. This is about the villain's famous masterstroke moment. The move that will define him for thousands of years. The gamble that will eventually lead to his doom thanks to some hungry and hairy-footed heroes. And yet, for all Sauron's relevance to this story, The Rings of Power's upcoming season will also bring back the first real villain of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings books.

Because with the One Ring also comes the Nazgûl, and with the Nazgûl inevitably comes their commander, the Witch-king of Angmar.

Yes, The Witch-king Is The Lord Of The Rings' First Villain

Sauron is fantasy villain royalty, so it's surprising just how little he actively contributes to The Lord of the Rings. Sauron is merely a shadow in the background, a puppeteer of sorts, and nowhere near as involved as he deigned to be during his Second Age exploits. The closest Sauron comes to being a traditional antagonist is The Return of the King, when Mordor's forces fully mobilize. In The Two Towers, it's Saruman who occupies the role of main villain. Before that, in The Fellowship of the Ring, it's the Witch-king of Angmar.

The Witch-king may be doing Sauron's bidding, but he's ultimately the character chasing down the Ring. He's the character instilling fear and casting an aura of menace over that first chapter. He's the character slamming cold steel into Frodo's body and cleaving a wound that will never quite heal. His boss, the bad big Sauron, is really just a whisper in the wind at this point, so as far as The Lord of the Rings is concerned, the book's first true villain is Angmar's hooded horseman.

The Rings Of Power Is Bringing Back The Witch-king

Prime Video's marketing machine has already confirmed that The Rings of Power season 3 will include the Nazgûl, or as they will be known in the show, the Nazgnagôl. This makes sense, as Sauron had already crafted the Nine Rings for mortal men in season 2, and was busily distributing the Seven, meaning it couldn't be long before other rings started finding fingers. The Nazgnagôl are in an early state of corruption, not yet the undead ghouls from The Lord of the Rings, but certainly on that path, and at least some of those unlucky nine will feature in The Rings of Power's forthcoming season.

J.R.R. Tolkien never delved into the pre-damnation identities of the Ringwraiths, so The Rings of Power has a unique opportunity to fill those gaps. Theories have been rife over potential Nazgûl candidates since the series began, especially where the Witch-king is concerned, and at this point, it will be very difficult for The Rings of Power to actually avoid telling the Witch-king's origin story. Indeed, it's entirely possible that Amazon has been telling that very origin already, should the Witch-king be revealed as a character that viewers are already familiar with.

Whenever it comes, learning the Witch-king's past in The Rings of Power will completely transform the villain's perception, especially in terms of rewatching The Fellowship of the Ring. More importantly, fans will witness the genesis of the parasitic bond between Sauron and his commander-in-chief that defined the Witch-king back in The Lord of the Rings, when he was the main source of evil.